Jealousy
by WisdomState
Summary: The new inhabitants of Woodbury make an excellent addition to the prison, but one woman in particular poses a threat to the friendship between Daryl Dixon and Carol. Unbeknownst to her, Karen becomes the catalyst for a development in their relationship. SPOILERS for 3x16.
1. A Hint of Jealousy

**A/N: **Disclaimer - I do not own The Walking Dead in any part, characters, concepts or otherwise. They are property of Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and AMC. Also, warning for spoilers up to episode 3.16!

**So here's the thing:** Lately, a few of my drabbles on tumblr have gotten a little more attention than I thought they would - and it seems like some of you guys want me to follow up on them! So, since you're all absolutely lovely, I'll see what I can do.

This first chapter, _A Hint of Jealousy_ was a prompt for queen-carol, who requested that Carol feel a little jealousy towards the new Woodbury woman named Karen, after she expresses an interest in Daryl. I then received another request (that I will reveal in the next chapter) that I thought would tie in perfectly with this story, so I decided to make it into a multi-chapter fic.

I hope you guys love it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing - it means a LOT to me. :)

- Ren

* * *

**A Hint of Jealousy**

"Hey, Carol..."

The woman named Karen approached Carol slowly, walking up the stairs of C block with a hand on the metal railing. Two weeks had passed in the prison, and though tension in their original group were running high, the addition of the Woodbury folks had been for the best. They provided some joy, some new faces and stories, and more than that they provided more security for the group. Carol happened to like the newcomers, and had no trouble letting Karen tail her whenever she set about the chores. She had even told her on the first day that Daryl had pulled her from a truck on the highway, the sole survivor from the Governor's attack on the 'army'.

_Sounds like Daryl_. Carol thought to herself with a smile, happy that he had been able to save another life.

"Mmhmm?" The older woman replied, turning her head away from folding laundry to look at Karen as she approached.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." She smiled.

Karen seemed to hesitate for a moment, the notion not going unnoticed by Carol.

"What do you have to do to get Daryl to crack a smile?"

Well she hadn't been expecting that.

Suddenly, her chest was uncomfortable, in the same way it had been uncomfortable to see Shane eyeing Lori in Atlanta. Her blue eyes darted to Karen, who looked at her in earnest, a little shyly.

"Why ask me?" She asked, trying to mask the annoyance with humor.

Karen seemed to buy it, replying with: "Well, you're close aren't you? I see you two talking all the time." She paused, taking a second to chuckle and add: "When Daryl actually talks."

"Guess you could say that." Carol replied, possibly took quickly as she finished folding the last of the shirts - and realizing with some emotion that it had been one of Daryl's.

"Anyway," Karen continued, pushing a stray, dark curl back behind her ear as she leaned on the railing. "I just, I think he could do with a few more smiles, you know?" She said, her smile making Carol feel sick.

_What makes her think she can make him smile?_

She bit back her first thought, appalled at where her mind had gone in that instant of reaction time. The realization seemed to set off a chain reaction while she nodded, expressionless, at Karen's comment. Her thought churned, abstract memories of the interactions they had over the last year swam through and threw his face into sharp relief in her mind. Daryl Dixon was an attractive man.

"He just, he's an attractive guy." She sounded dangerously close to reverent as she spoke, which only made the uncomfortable feeling more apparent.

"He really is." Carol answered before she had the chance to stop herself.

Karen didn't seem bothered by it, as she had been the one to make state it publicly.

The silver-haired woman sighed. "He's a good man, too." She added, more for herself than for Karen's benefit.

A good man, a man of honor. That's what Daryl Dixon was, a good person, and a good friend. And suddenly, being his friend didn't seem like it was enough.

Glancing over at Karen, Carol noticed her high cheekbones, her beautiful dark hair that curled loosely in thick strands, and her soft brown eyes that were downcast and looking at the place where Daryl had hung his vest over the railing to mark his cell.

She was beautiful, and Carol hated it.

Carol didn't know she could get jealous. She hadn't known, because never once in her life was she given the option to feel like anyone wanted what she had. But now that Karen, a beautiful woman with long eyelashes and dark hair was showing an interest in her closest friend, Carol was jealous.

"But no advice on the smiling thing?" Karen said, breaking Carol's concentration on her own twisting emotion.

Carol pursed her lips in a forced smile. "Nope, sorry." She chuckled. "Good man, tough shell."

"Well I guess I'll just have to try something different." Karen sighed, a mischievous smile quirking her lips into a near-smirk.

Carol raised an eyebrow, the urge to scream coiling in her ribcage as she repressed it with years of self-taught restraint. "Yeah? Like what?" She asked.

Karen chuckled, turning her body toward the stairs again and shrugging. "Oh I dunno, something that might get a little more attention than just words."

It took everything Carol had not to go running after her, ahead of her, to find Daryl.

For the first time in her life, Carol was wildly jealous of a woman she barely knew. And all because she was hit with the realization that she had something to be jealous of. She had her love for one Daryl Dixon, and that felt like the one thing she couldn't afford to lose.

Karen wouldn't get the time to make her move on Daryl, and the silver-haired woman made sure of that. Instead of going to the kitchen to prepare food for the others, Carol headed to what remained of the south tower, the highest point on the prison that hadn't been touched by the Woodbury war.

Carol headed there, because she knew that was where Daryl hid from people when he wanted some space.

****She knew, because she loved him.


	2. A Little Action

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead in any part, in concept or characters. SPOILERS for episodes 3 x 16.

Whoa! Finally, a second chapter! Man, I'm sorry this one took me so long - and is so much longer than the first one. I liked this tumblr prompt from llcad because she didn't say anything about how terrible Karen was. The truth is, we don't know her at all. She could be totally fantastic, and even though she makes a move on Daryl in this fic, I tried not to make it sleazy or desperate, like she is in some other fics.

Prompt: for llcad. Karen makes a move on Daryl, who then rejects her. When asked why, he realizes it's because he only has eyes for Carol.

I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know please ... I love it when you review - it means so much.

* * *

**A Little Action**

Daryl had been annoyed all day.

One moment alone with Carol was all he wanted, or with fewer people around than the hoard that seemed to surround her. He knew why they were there, following her around like she ran the damn place - because they saw her as the queen bee. Always a smile, working on some chore that needed seeing to, and getting it done faster than anyone had time to notice.

_Sounds like Carol_, he remarked that day as his eyes swept over the kitchen. Carol with her back to him, the woman next to her turned just in time to see him standing at the door.

Karen was her name; she was the woman he had picked up out of that truck, a pretty woman, dark curly hair and dark eyes that were soft - yet had a hardness to them . It was the same kind of hardness Carl's eyes had developed after losing Lori.

She smiled up at him, and he barely managed a quirk of the head in her direction before he moved on.

One moment alone.

He hadn't felt like interacting with anyone since he put down the gruesome shadow of his brother near Woodbury, but Carol, as usual was the exception to his rule.

She had a way of getting under one's skin, in the best sense - always able to pull a little cheer out of any situation. That, and she understood him. She liked him even, which meant more to him than he knew how to express with words or gestures. Carol knew him, and liked him, and sometimes knowing that alone was enough to make his head spin.

Daryl had been patrolling the prison all day in hopes of running into her, if only to share one of their silent looks that meant a little of his hurt would abate for a while. He had come to depend on those looks.

The day had started out roughly for him, with one of the kids from Woodbury insisting that they go on watch with him. The kid wouldn't stop pestering him about his crossbow, begging him to fire it at anything, just to see it in action. Daryl almost wished he were outside the fence, just to put down some walkers and blow off some steam.

After what seemed like hours of ducking around the prison, avoiding people - both from Woodbury and their own group - he found himself on the perch, hiding out in a shaded corner that thankfully offered a little seclusion. Daryl was thanking his lucky stars for the cover of shade above him, until he heard footsteps climbing the stairs carefully up to where he sat.

"Hey."

He looked up to see a pair of dark eyes looking down at him, and a soft smile on Karen's lips as she held out a water bottle to him.

Daryl was motionless for a moment before taking it. "Thanks." He said, nodding at her with a look of slight confusion in his eyes. She wanted something, and he knew it.

"Wha's goin' on?" He asked lowly, while she slid down the wall to sit facing him.

She shrugged. "Not much. Just thought you should have something to drink." Her smile was pretty, even though her features were thin and seemed a bit stretched because of the malnutrition they all suffered. "It's hot out here." She added, while Daryl noted that she was quite beautiful - in the same way Lori had been - the thin type with high cheekbones and dark features that contrasted with her pale skin._ Woulda been Merle's type_, he thought.

Karen looked at him, pulling her knees up to her chest and draping an arm over them. "So what are you doing out here by yourself?" She asked.

"Wha?" He wasn't paying attention, looking instead up at the windows that he wished were paned with thinner glass, to give them something tangible to look at instead of meeting her gaze. Focusing on Karen once more, she repeated "What are you doing up here? Kind of lonely, isn't it?"

Her dark eyes seemed to ask something of him, an admonition or a secret. He wasn't in the mood.

"Naw." He said quietly. "Wanted to be alone for a bit."

"Oh." Karen said, looking down at the pieces of shrapnel littering the ground beside her. Daryl took a moment to note her expression, and subsequently feel guilty for his careless words. True, he didn't exactly want her there, but he didn't want to make her feel like she had to leave either. "I can leave you alone." She said, moving to stand up.

"Nah, s'okay." He said offhandedly, trying to redeem himself for being so ignorant in the ways of human interaction. With Carol, he noted, it never seemed to matter. She always knew what he meant.

Karen seemed a little more at ease however, and settled back into her spot.

There was a look about her that told Daryl she understood hardship, that she was a harder person than she let on. She had dealt with pain and loss too, and knowing that about her made him a little less antsy.

"So..." She began after a few moments of silence, intertwining her fingers as they rested on her knees in front of her. "Where are you from?"

_Oh Hell_. He remembered why he wanted to find Carol in the first place: he didn't want to think about anything bad. If he talked about it now, Daryl wasn't sure if he'd ever pull himself out of the dark place he had been since Merle's last day. The image of his eyes, greyed and bloodshot without a hint of life left in them, haunted Daryl even when passing under the shadow of the prison's bridge, let alone when he was left to his own devices.

When he said nothing, Karen raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. "That's okay." She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall behind her. "How long have you guys been here?"

This, he could answer. "'Bout two months." He said, once again looking out over the field.

"Just your gang of what, eight?"

Daryl's silence told her more he was willing to say, along with the way his eyes immediately fell on the ground, and his lips tightened into a thin line. Her expression softened. "I'm sorry."

Shrugging, Daryl glanced at her sidelong and replied: "Shit happens."

"Everybody's lost someone since all this happened." Karen said with a sigh. "So nice that Glenn and Maggie found each other... at least they have that comfort."

Daryl raised an eyebrow. What did Maggie and Glenn have to do with anything? The way she looked at him now held a little mischief, and Daryl felt uncomfortable under her penetrating gaze.

"I guess you've been together for a while then, huh?" She continued.

Daryl was thoroughly confused at this point, looking at her with a silent, slightly open-mouthed expression.

Karen giggled. "You and Carol. You guys are together, aren't you?"

_What the fuck_. Daryl thought, knowing his eyebrows must have furrowed to the point of him looking angry. Mostly, he was just confused about the tightness that seemed to pull his chest in on itself as an image of Carol washing laundry by hand jumped into his mind. Not so much just the image of her, but the feeling of her, and the way her forearms caught the light, water droplets glistening as they slid back down into the basin.

He gulped, and shook his head. "Naw, 'course not." He said.

"Oh?" Karen's surprised voice echoed back. "I really thought you were."

"Why would ya think that?" He countered before he had time to think.

"Well," She didn't miss a beat, looking at him with a smirk on her face as she pushed an unruly curl behind her ear. "Because she's about the only person I ever see you talk to. Other than Rick, that is."

Daryl bit his thumb, chewing on the skin next to his nail. He said nothing, but couldn't help but admit that she was right . He couldn't deny that he preferred Carol's company to anyone else's. She knew that, and let him be himself around her. That was one of the things he loved about her so much.

And Daryl Dixon knew he loved her. He just didn't know what the Hell to do about it.

_Knowin' you, baby brotha'... probably nothin'_. Merle's voice jeered in his head, followed by a cackle that Daryl would have done almost anything to hear out loud again.

"Hey, anybody in there?" Karen said, snapping him out of his reverie, which had then turned to the nervous thoughts that arose whenever Carol's arm brushed accidentally, or she took his hand in hers with an affectionate, gentle squeeze.

He grumbled his apology. The brunette didn't seem phased, a certain ease in her company reminded him a little of Carol as well. She smiled, and cocked her head to the side. "Well, all I'm going to say is that if you ever _need_ someone, y'know, like that..." She seemed to hesitate for a moment before that mischievous smile quirked her lips upward. "You know where to find me."

Daryl's eyes snapped up to meet hers, a little mortified but mostly shocked at her forwardness. Despite being flabbergasted, the thought had never even crossed his mind - now that she had spoken, all of the looks and smiles she shot in his direction were all making sense. Why she was always hanging around Carol, too; it seemed like the most likely place he'd be.

The hunter was at a loss for words, and instead he chewed his lip nervously as her brown eyes searched his for emotion. His body tensed when she pushed herself off the wall, sliding toward him a little bit. "And I'm right here." She said, her tone not so seductive as it could have been, considering the fact that she was now alarmingly close - Daryl could see the flecks of green in her eyes.

"H-hol' on..." He managed to get out before his body finally allowed him to move. Bolting upwards, he stood, poised to escape. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he watched her expression fade into one of slight disappointment. "I jus'... I can't." He said before turning tail and nearly running down the stairs away from Karen.

"Wait!" She called out, and he halted begrudgingly. He half-turned toward her. "Yeah?" His voice was harsh.

"Why?" Karen's voice was without an undertone of mischief, or flirtation. It was a simple and genuine question that Daryl nearly shuddered at. He opened and closed his mouth once or twice before formulating a response.

"I don' know." He said quietly, hanging his head.

But he _did_ know. He was terrified of being close to people - but not Carol. He knew Karen was pretty, but he didn't like the way she looked nearly as much as he liked Carol's short, wispy curls, or her thin arms and the cigarette burn scars that peppered her back - which he only knew because he had seen her change shirts after a particularly hot day. Carol was home for him, and he knew that from the moment she found him in his cell, and told him she was glad he came back.

She cared for him, and he cared for her. And it didn't make sense for him to be with anybody else.

Without another word, Daryl made a beeline for what remained of the tower, not caring that it was still disorganized and most definitely not structurally sound. It was the one place he could go to be alone.

The dark-haired woman raised her eyebrows and sighed. Her talk with Carol had been most telling in terms of the older woman's feelings, and if the rejection wasn't enough, she was fairly certain her chances were next to none. She stood up and made her way back downstairs slowly, hoping that one of them made a first-move before she got the courage to try again.


End file.
